Paint rollers, paint brushes and other paint tools are widely used as applicators as a means of applying paint to surfaces. However, cleaning the applicators after their use is an unpleasant task because of the difficulty in removing all the paint from in between the paint-carrying fibers. Failure to remove all the paint will lead to fibers that are too stiff to provide a smooth painted surface, and with individual fibers that are too fouled and poorly separated to provide a suitable paint-carrying capacity. On the other hand, a very thorough cleaning typically requires many washings, with additional cleaning of the hands and containers used, generating large amounts of contaminated wash solvents for disposal.
There is a need for paint applicators, such as paint roller covers and brushes that have an increased paint-carrying capacity (i.e., paint pick-up), release, and coverage during use. The present invention provides such paint applicators.